The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-08

clally, Cil3t the WOrSt uttle morse
ever see"
''She'll go like thunder when sh'
gets started. protested the boy. mucl
hurt. 1t was by no means pony Il
brag of. but, being his only article o
property. he could not afford to laugl
very heartily ut such sallies.
He himself was nothing extra to leol
at. if you came to that. A long. thir
figure, clad in the rustic's coarse gar
ments; broad felt hat concealing hi.
brown hair. and tapping over his thir
face-a face fairly disfgured with great
freckles. but lit by pair of gray eyes
alive with boyish love of excitement
Jim Rowell was not a bad fellow. but
the delight. the rapture of bounding
over the prairie in company and on
horseback was always too strong 9
temptation for his prudent resolves.
A ride, long, swift. glorious ride over
sandy levels; between brown bluffs;
past an occasional farm house, where
stacks stand yellow and tall; through
rafting skeletons of thickets and shall
low sweeps of water; up. down. and
across. until the patriarch of the herds
starts up before them. The cattle he
has been lying among scatter out lazily.
but old Abe meets his foes with the
glare of a gladiator.
A fierce brute he is, and strong.
ooh ~ Ia, .,,;lo bor,.- <,;,,o', So:
the rings of many years; at the power
full muscles showing beneath his tawny
hide. and the long limbs that have
crushed through many a strong in
closure. Nothing about him tells of
ownership; there is neither cut on his
ears or scar on his hide. No roundup
could gather him in. nor corral secure
him; therefore, convention of "cow
punchers" suggested general action
against the outlaw. and, the words were
uttered at time when any diversion
was welcome. To mortals condemned
to the endless solitude and soul wearing
monotony of those vast level plains.
the time must come when even a
shooting scrape is hailed with glad re-
lief.
"Thar he is boys"' shouts Tom
Jenkins. Thar! Ketch him and he S
your'n.
"a devils prise ut the best; but here
goes" muttered Thompson. pushing
forward with the boy beside him.
Hi? The dogs are at him. with banks
that become yelps as the brindle gives
them taste of his heels. Down the
valley, over the uplands and the dry
creek bottoms. away they so, in a
noisy race against the crisp west wind.
tornado of Gathering hoofs. jingling
spurs and loose trappings. The sun
beats hot upon them, the dust flies up
from the plain. One by one the dogs
sneak off to the rear. the ponies flag;
yet old Abe is as fresh for break of a
mile or so. as ready for savage dash
at a timid horse or rider.
''Give it up. He amt with it!' cry
the weaker spirits. drawing rein upon
a hill, the defiant brute eycing them
from safe distance.
"Do cz you please" growled Long
Jake. "but ef you fellers quit won't,
that's ALL"
Neither will put in Jimmy, look
ing foolish, as laugh was raised at his
expense. Because a square look at
you would scare him to death any
day." He turned away. glad to have
avenged his former defeat. That readi-
ness of tongue which others laughed at
and passed over in the boy angered the
hcrder unaccountably. Besides, he felt
sore at the failure of his boast to cap
ture the prize in an hour.
Come on boys" proposed jenkins.
'My camps just around'the bend. If
we can run him into the big stone COR
raj we've got him, sure; if not let's
stop and take fresh start in tine morn
ing"
"An right" chorused the others.
'Look yere, Jimmy. said AL Thomp-
son, rs their two horses trottcd down
the slope together. '.you jes' take my
advice an let Jake alone. It's precious
easy to git him hot, an they say he
killed a man down on the Divide"
80. give us rest, amt afraid.
Why does he keep trying to rile me
all the t me just because I'm a boy.
It's too mean"
go ahead. then. You're pretty
smart, Jim Rowcll, but tell you it
don't do no Teller good to he too
smart; mebbc you'll find it out some
day."
The second chase proved no more
successful than the first. Cunning Old
Abe put in his ''best ticks" for their
enlightenment, aud when they gave it
up still seemed unwearied. Tom
sprang from his horse to do the honors
of his residence.
"Lisht. gentlemen. light and make
yourselves at home. Things is a little
out of order, consequent on the missus
not having got back from Saratogy,
but you'll find the mornin' papers in
the lib'ry. The key of the pianer's on
the bureau in my dressin' room. Eff
you like. take turns in admirin' the
scenery. the long shadders of the chick
ems fallin' to the east ard. an the
kingly rooster as he glides forth from
the barn"
The mansion whose hospitality was
offered in this grandiloquent style was
an extremely scaly-looking dug-out.
probably measuring ten by twelve feet.
Outside inspection revealed one
small door and window. a variegated
supply of oyster-cans, barrels. and not